We know we face a tough match against Souths Logan at Davies Park on Sunday even though they are not in the race for the finals. They’ve won four of their last five games including the scalps of top eight teams Norths and Redcliffe.
But the goal to have a home semi-final is without doubt driving us with two rounds to go and I feel the team has lifted a gear in the past few weeks.
Ash Taylor has been gaining confidence with each game he has played with us and gradually his teammates are getting more familiar with how he plays and improving their timing off his passes and that has been a key to our improvement.
But the effort of our forwards to get into the grind early in matches has been telling for us too and we have to continue that every match from here.
It’s likely we are going to have a semi-final against the Dolphins whether home or away. The defending premiers have struck some form, having won eight of their past 10 games, so getting them at home would certainly be a psychological advantage.
But we’ve got a job to do before then against the Magpies and Northern Pride and can’t afford to get ahead of ourselves.
We are going to be without Leilani Latu on Sunday, and maybe a while longer, because of a shoulder injury but we are lucky to have Will Matthews back so it’s pretty much a direct swap, Titan for Titan, and Will has been tremendous for us in his few games for us.
Kalani Going will miss Sunday’s game too. He missed three games with a hamstring injury and last Sunday was his second game back but his hammie tightened up and he played only 18 minutes and we thought it best to rest him against the Magpies and get it right.
Treymain Spry, who missed last week’s game because of a foot injury, is back. The good thing has been that our depth has really stood up for most of the season and we are able to cover injuries pretty well when they have happened.
Souths have always had a good side on paper with Broncos players like Shaun Fensom, Patrick Mago, Sam Tagataese and Fanitesi Niu and good established Q Cup players but were disappointing for the first half of the season.
They’ve shown what they can do in the last month though and we really have to be on our toes.
If we want to be a force in the finals these are the tests we have to be up for and the signs have been good in the wins against Ipswich and Easts that we can get into the grind and play the way we want to.
And that has given the team confidence. We just have to keep the momentum going.
Neil Cadigan
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